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Professor

Susanna LEONG

Vice President (Applied Research)
Professor
PhD (Chemical Engineering), University of Cambridge
Cluster:
Food, Chemical and Biotechnology
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Biography

Professor Susanna Leong is the Vice President (Applied Research) at the Singapore Institute of Technology. She oversees the development and growth of applied research, including formulating and implementing strategies, policies and processes to enhance the quality and integrity of research activities in the university.

Her current research interests are in biomolecular engineering and bioprocess engineering for applications in food, healthcare and bioremediation. Her ongoing research projects are done in close partnerships with local enterprises, multinational companies and government agencies with the intent to drive translation.

Prof Leong sits on several national technical panels, including Startup SG Tech and food scientific review panels. She is also an editorial board member for a number of international peer-reviewed scientific journals, including ‘Chemical Engineering Science’ and ‘Food and Bioproducts Processing’.

Her previous appointments at SIT include serving as Cluster Director of the Food, Chemical and Biotechnology cluster, as well as Assistant Provost (Applied Research). Her research accomplishments have been recognised through several awards, including the Tan Chin Tuan Fellowship in Engineering, most cited author for ‘Food and Bioproducts Engineering’ (2006-2009), and the Danckwerts-Pergamon Prize awarded by Cambridge University. She was a recipient of the Public Administration Medal (Bronze), National Day Award in 2018. Prof Leong is currently a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, and holds an Adjunct faculty appointment at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Prof Leong graduated with a BEng (First Class Honours) and MPhil in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University.

SIT Appointments

  • Professor
    – Present
  • Vice President (Applied Research)
    – Present
  • Assistant Provost (Applied Research)
    –
  • Cluster Director, Chemical Engineering and Food Technology
    –
  • Programme Director, SIT BEng (Hons) Pharmaceutical Engineering
    –
  • Associate Professor
    –
  • Programme Director, NU BSc (Hons) Food & Human Nutrition
    –
  • Programme Director, SIT-NU BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering
    –

Education

  • PhD (Chemical Engineering)
    University of Cambridge ,
  • MPhil (Chemical Engineering)
    University of Manchester (UMIST) ,
  • BEng (Chemical Engineering) Class 1 (Hons)
    University of Manchester (UMIST) ,

Achievements

  • Professional Engineer awarded by Professional Engineers Board Singapore
  • Charted Chemical Engineer awarded by the Institution of Chemical Engineering (IChemE)
  • Tan Chin Tuan Exchange Fellowship in Engineering (Outbound to Caltech USA), NTU
  • Associate Editor, Chemical Engineering Science
  • Editorial Board Member, Food and Bioproducts Processing: Official journal of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering: Part C
  • Most Cited Author, Food and Bioproducts Processing (Elsevier)
    –
  • Danckwerts-Pergamon Prize, University of Cambridge (Top PhD thesis in Chemical Engineering)
  • Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust

Professional Memberships

  • Professional Engineer Practising Certificate
    – Present
  • Chartered Member of Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
    – Present
  • Member of the American Chemical Society
    – Present
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Research Interests

  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Biomolecular Engineering
  • Synthetic Biology

Past Projects

  • Development of next generation antimicrobial peptides for antimicrobial therapy and protection (US Air Force)
    –
  • Antimicrobial catheter scale up development (MOE-TIF)
    –
  • Antimicrobial medical device development (A*STAR)
    –
  • Waste-to-energy conversion (National Environment Agency)
    –
  • Engineering biology for valuable fuels and chemicals (NRF)
    –
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Journal Papers

  • Yu A., Zhao Y., Pang Y., Hu Z., Zhang C., Xiao D., Chang M.W., Leong S.S.J., 2018, “An oleaginous yeast platform for renewable 1-butanol synthesis based on a heterologous CoA-dependent pathway and an endogenous pathway” Microbial Cell Factories 17:166.

  • Lim K. Y., Saravanan R., Chong K. L. K., Goh H. M. S, Chua R. R. Y., Tambyah P. A., Chang M.W., Kline K. A., Leong S.S.J., 2018, “Anhydrous polymer-based coating with sustainable controlled release functionality for facile, efficacious impregnation and delivery of antimicrobial peptides” Biotechnology and Bioengineering 115:2000-2012. Featured in B&B Video Highlights.

  • Foo J.L., Susanto A.V., Keasling J.D., Leong S.S.J., Chang M.W., 2017, “Whole-Cell biocatalytic and de novo production of alkanes from free fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” Biotechnology and Bioengineering 114:232-237.

  • Chua R.R.Y., Lim, K., Leong S.S.J., Tambyah P.A., Ho B., 2017, “An in vitro urinary catheterization model that approximates clinical conditions for evaluation of innovations to prevent catheter associated urinary tract infections” Journal of Hospital Infection 97:66-73.

  • Yu A.Q., Juwono N.K.P., Foo J.L., Leong S.S.J., Chang M.W., 2016, “Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the overproduction of short branched-chain fatty acids” Metabolic Engineering 34:36-43.

  • Basu A., Mishra B., Leong S.S.J., 2015, “Global transcriptome analysis reveals distinct bacterial response towards soluble and surface-immobilized antimicrobial peptide (Lasioglossin-III)” RSC Advances 5(96): 78712- 78718.

  • Lim K.Y., Chua R.R.Y., Ho B., Tambyah P.A., Hadinoto K., Leong S.S.J., 2015, “Development of a catheter functionalized by a polydopamine-peptide coating with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties” Acta Biomaterialia 15:127-138.

  • Foo J.L., Jensen H.M., Dahl R.B., George K., Keasling J.D., Lee T.S., Leong S., Mukhopadhyay A., 2014, “Improving Microbial Biogasoline Production in Escherichia coli Using Tolerance Engineering” mBio 5:6; e01932.

  • Basu A., Mishra B., Leong S.S.J., 2014, “Intein based bioprocess for production of a synthetic antimicrobial peptide: An alternative route to solid phase peptide synthesis” RSC Advances 4(60):31564-31572.

  • Yu A.Q., Juwono N.K.P., Leong S.S.J., Chang M.W., 2014, “Production of fatty acid-derived valuable chemicals in synthetic microbes” Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 2:78 doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2014.00078.

  • Li X., Li P., Saravanan R., Basu A., Mishra B., Lim S.H., Su X.D., Leong S.S.J., 2014, “Antimicrobial functionalization of silicone surfaces with engineered short peptides having broad spectrum antimicrobial and salt resistant property” Acta Biomaterialia 10: 258-266.

  • Lim K.Y., Chua R.R.Y., Saravanan R., Basu A., Mishra B., Tambyah P.A., Ho B., Leong S.S.J., 2013, “Immobilization studies of an engineered arginine-tryptophan rich peptide on a silicone surface with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity” ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 5 (13): 6412–6422.

  • Chen W., Yoon Y.J., Leong S.S.J., Kwak S.K., 2013, “Dimers of human beta defensins and their interactions with the POPG membrane” Molecular Simulations 39:849-859. Selected as one of the top 25 papers to be highlighted in conjunction with Molecular Simulation’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.

  • Basu A., Mishra B., Leong S.S.J., 2013, “Immobilization of Polybia-MPI by allyl glycidyl ether based brush chemistry to generate novel antimicrobial surface” Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 1(37): 4746 – 4755. Featured in Chemistry World, Royal Society of Chemistry.

  • Foo J.L., Leong S.S.J.*, 2013, “Directed evolution of an E. coli inner membrane transporter for improved efflux of biofuel molecules” Biotechnology for Biofuels 6:81.

  • Saravanan R., Li X., Lim K.Y., Mohanram H., Li P., Mishra B., Basu, A., Lee J.M., Bhattacharyya S., Leong S.S.J., 2013, “Design of short membrane selective antimicrobial peptides containing tryptophan and arginine residues for improved activity, salt-resistance and biocompatibility” Biotechnology and Bioengineering 111(1):37-49. Featured in B&B Video Highlights.

  • Li X., Basu A., Leong S.S.J.*, 2013, “Biomolecular engineering to overcome salt-resistance in a human beta defensin model” Chemical Engineering Science 95:128-137.

  • Li P., Li X., Saravanan R., Li C.M., Leong S.S.J.*, 2012, “Antimicrobial Macromolecules: Synthesis Methods and Future Applications” RSC Advances 2(10):4031-4044.

  • Chen W., Tay D.K.S., Leong S.S.J.*, Kwak S.K.*, 2012, “Three-dimensional structure of human beta-defensin 28 via homology modeling and molecular dynamics” Molecular Simulations 38(2):90-101.

  • Basu A., Li X., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “Refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies: Rational design and recipes” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 92(2):241-251.

  • Tay D.K.S., Gobinath A.K.R., Li X., Chen Y., Lua L.H.L., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “A new bioproduction route for a novel antimicrobial peptide” Biotechnology and Bioengineering 108(3):572-581.

  • Foo J.L., Ching C.B., Chang M.W., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “The imminent role of protein engineering in synthetic biology” Biotechnology Advances 30(3):541-549.

  • Basu A., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “Development of an ELISA platform for refolding yield determination of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein” Analytical Biochemistry 418(1):155-157.

  • Basu A., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “High productivity refolding of HBx guided by statistical design of experiment studies” Journal of Chromatography A 1223:64-71.

  • Li X., Leong S.S.J.*, 2011, “A chromatography-focused bioprocess that eliminates soluble aggregation for bioactive production of a new antimicrobial peptide candidate” Journal of Chromatography A 1218(23):3654-3659.

  • Onaizi S.A., Leong S.S.J.*, 2010, Tethering Antimicrobial Peptides: Current Status and Potential Challenges,” Biotechnology Advances 29 (2011):67-74.

  • Chen Y., Leong S.S.J.*, 2010, “High Productivity Refolding of an Inclusion Body Protein using Pulsed-fed Size Exclusion Chromatography,” Process Biochemistry 45(9):1570-1576.

  • Liu X.B., Du Y., Guo Z., Gunasekaran S., Ching C.B., Chen Y., Leong S.S.J.*, and Yang Y.H.*, 2009, “Monodispersed MCM-41 large particles by modified pseudomorphic transformation: diamine functionalization and application in protein bioseparation,” Microporous and Macroporous Materials 122:114-120.

  • Huang L., Leong S.S.J.*, Jiang R.R.*, 2009, “Soluble fusion expression and characterization of bioactive human beta-defensin 26 and 27” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 84(2):301-308.

  • Chen Y., Leong S.S.J.*, 2009,” Adsorptive refolding of a highly disulfide-bonded inclusion body protein using anion-exchange chromatography”. Journal of Chromatography A 1216(24):4877-4886.

  • Huang L., Ching C.B., Jiang R.R.*, Leong S.S.J.*, 2008, “Production of bioactive human beta-defensin 5 and 6 in Escherichia coli by soluble fusion expression,” Protein Expression and Purification 61(2):168-174.

  • Leong S.S.J. and Middelberg A.P.J., 2007, “A simplified bioprocess for human alpha-fetoprotein production from inclusion bodies,” Biotechnology and Bioengineering 97:99-117. Featured in the “Spotlight” segment of Volume 97 of the Biotechnology and Bioengineering Journal, in recognition of its potential significant contribution to the field of protein bioprocessing.

  • Leong S.S.J.* and Chen W.N., 2007, “Preparing recombinant single chain antibodies,” Chemical Engineering Science 63(6):1401-1414.

  • Langenhof M., Leong S.S.J., Pattenden L., Middelberg A.P.J., 2005, “Controlled oxidative protein refolding using an ion-exchange column,” Journal of Chromatography A 1069(2):195-201.

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